Ladies Day at York on Thursday, 21 August has the Ebor Festival 2025 day 2 card taking place on it. The headline act is Cheshire, Epsom and Irish Oaks heroine Minnie Hauk goes for the Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks over a mile-and-a-half.
Opposition is sadly running scared from the Aidan O’Brien wonder-filly as she faces just three rivals in the £600,000 feature and even one of those may not run if conditions are too fast. The supporting card on the Knavesmire also contains the Group 2 Lowther Stakes for juvenile females.
There is also a Listed race, the Galtres Stakes also honouring late trainer Sir Henry Cecil, on Ebor Festival 2025 day 2 over the Yorkshire Oaks course and distance, which fillies and mares can run in too. A valuable Sales Race for two-year-olds is another to note, while the Clipper Handicap is the big betting race of the card.
York has lots to offer to punters, then, and so we once again press our horse racing experts into service. Setting them the task of studying which horses appeal at the prices on offer and based on the pick of their form is their bread and butter.
Looking at the odds from horse racing bookies online and based on past performances, they can spot value. Check out all the fancied runners from Ladies Day and what makes them so appealing below.
York Ebor Festival 2025 Day 2 Preview for Thursday, 21 August
1:50 – 6f Group 2 Lowther Stakes (Fillies)
Venetian Sun maintains her unbeaten start by landing the Group Two Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes, winning impressively for the duo of @CliffordleexLee and @karl_burke 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1u0BTcXCuy
— Newmarket Racecourse (@NewmarketRace) July 11, 2025
Of those with an official rating, the standout filly is ROYAL FIXATION. Ed Walker won this 12 months ago with Celandine, who again has William Buick taking the ride. Royal Fixation sets a clear form standard on her neck second in the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes in this grade during the July Festival. She won her only previous start up north at Thirsk.
Another filly in form, however, is Brian Ellison’s Wor Faayth seeking her hat-trick. Connections pulled off an audacious French raid on a Listed race last time out, so she’s worth a crack at Pattern company on that evidence. Argentine Tango is a consistent sort, meanwhile, but Tim Easterby’s charge might find one or two too good again.
Sandown scorer Staya wasn’t disgraced when runner-up in the Princess Margaret at Ascot last time either. Punters shouldn’t discount the only course winner in the line-up either. In spite of that previous York experience, Secret Hideaway is a massive price for Adrian Paul Keatley, especially with Oisin Murphy on board now.
2:25 – 6f Harry’s Half Million By Goffs Premier Yearlings Stakes
⭕ #Deauville – Prix de Cabourg – Fonds Européen de l’Élevage (Gr III)
Tadej (Ardad) s’offre un premier Groupe sous les couleurs de Jinky Farms and Partner, entraîné par A. Watson et monté par @HollieDoyle1
Il devance Afjan et Jeudixx. pic.twitter.com/wdeBVEwWlV— France Galop (@francegalop) August 3, 2025
It therefore looks significant that past course and distance winner Tadej goes for this valuable prize instead. From Stall 1 under Hollie Doyle, and lower draws favoured in recent editions, he could give weight all-round and a beating en route to bigger things. Of the others, Middleham Park Racing have a couple of interest here in Rod Millman’s Weatherbys Super Sprint scorer Anthelia and Song Of The Clyde for Clive Cox, who has won the last two renewals.
Tom Dascombe knows what it takes to win this as well, so Italica must be a contender off the second highest rating (and weight). Richard Hannon has a really good record too with five wins since 2017 and Raakeb will thus have his supporters. Saffron Dandy also represents his Newmarket yard and could be anything still after just two starts, also for Middleham Park.
Apart from the favourite, there aren’t many last time out winners taking part. Rikki Tiki Tavi is one for Kevin Ryan, while Hugo Palmer’s Ardisia also scored when last in action. George Scott saddles Front Line Fury, who enjoys a prominent place in the betting. Richard Fahey has saddled the winner of this before, so Cotai Belle could bounce back upped in trip.
3:00 – 7f 192y Clipper Heritage Handicap
Lou Lou’s Gift holds on all out at @NewburyRacing!
The daughter of Lope De Vega puts up a really smart performance to take her rivals all the way and digs deep to deny the fast-finishing Leadman on the run for the line!@WilliamHaggas | @TomMarquand pic.twitter.com/KSblO4rUa9
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) August 16, 2025
David O’Meara is typically mob-handed in this big betting race on Ebor Festival 2025 day 2 and runs five. Of those, LEADMAN caught the eye when a narrow runner-up over seven furlongs at Newbury just last Saturday. If the tight turnaround of just five days isn’t an issue, then he looks the pick of the yard’s quintet.
Leadman, like so many representing the stable, will be played late and will thus need this run to suit, but he’s off an attractively low racing weight of 8st 13lb. Off 5lb well-in, he will unlikely be so well-treated like this for a while. Blue For You landed this in 2022, so is always feared at a course and distance he boasts plenty of good runs over.
Cerulean Bay was runner-up in the Shergar Cup Mile and now has the eye-catching jockey booking of Murphy after the handicapper nudged him up 1lb. Away from O’Meara, if there’s a potential Pattern performer here and type to progress out of handicaps, then Remmooz might be that horse. Owen Burrows’ three-year-old is 5lb worse off with Sisyphean from last month’s course and distance meeting with just a neck between them.
Ryan also runs Apiarist, who caught the eye over in Ireland last time, and he’s hit the frame on the Knavesmire before. Bullet Point helps frame the weights for William Haggas, meanwhile, and regular course visitors Old Cock and Northern Express can’t be ruled out. Of the others, Urban Lion has been in good form for Jack Channon this season.
3:35 – 1m 4f Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks (Fillies & Mares)
There is just no opposing MINNIE HAUK, who has 10lb and upwards in hand on meagre opposition on official figures and these terms. Barring a major disappointment from her, the Ebor Festival 2025 day 2 feature looks a coronation in all but name. O’Brien also runs Garden Of Eden, but edition of the Ribblesdale Stakes she won during Royal Ascot looked a poor renewal.
She also flopped big time in Germany last time, so there’s absolutely no doubt who the Ballydoyle first string is here. Estrange gives 9lb all-round to the three-year-olds here, but somewhat scrambled home in the Lancashire Oaks last time for O’Meara and Cheveley Park Stud. Quick ground isn’t much good to her either, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if she didn’t take up her engagement.
Qilin Queen perhaps didn’t give her true running in The Oaks at Epsom, but has 13 lengths to find with Minnie Hauk on that form. Her Group 2 Prix de Malleret win on the Grand Prix de Paris card in France was a step back in the right direction from Ed Walker’s charge, but it’s hard to see tables being turned from the fillies’ Classic.
4:10 – Listed 1m 4f Sir Henry Cecil Galtres Stakes (Fillies & Mares)
A brilliant front-running performance from Sand Gazelle who captures our feature event of the evening, the @BritishEBF Lyric Fillies’ Stakes, leading home a 1-2 for John & Thady Gosden 🏆 pic.twitter.com/OsVoDOzkrv
— York Racecourse (@yorkracecourse) July 25, 2025
Rainbows Edge just failed to overhaul John & Thady Gosden stable companion Sand Gazelle by a neck. Charlotte’s Web got up on the line for third in the same for another father-son training duo in Simon & Ed Crisford. The King & Queen also run Aeolian, who could be anything after just two career starts, but there are other three-year-olds receiving 9lb weight for age to consider.
Alice Monet comes over from Ireland for the same connections as Search For A Song, who took this for Dermot Weld and Moyglare Stud en route to Irish St Leger glory. She’s of obvious each-way interest. If official ratings are correct, then Butterfly Wings is best of the younger generation and she has less on her plate than when fourth in the Irish Oaks.
5:20 – 7f Fillies’ Heritage Handicap
Like all handicaps on the Knavesmire, this is competitive. Ralph Beckett turns out Maybe Not under a 6lb penalty for last week’s All-Weather win at Kempton. Jim Goldie does likewise with Mostar Dreams, who has a 5lb penalty for Haydock success, but she finished behind Ormolulu and Rogue Sensation over course and distance in June.
Jockey bookings again could provide clues as Moore rides Beckett’s other runner Dash Of Azure, disappointing on her last two starts, while Buick is on Royal Velvet for William Knight. She also didn’t deliver on her latest outing at her beloved Newmarket, however. Murphy’s mount Dance In The Storm may have one of these in her.
The King & Queen’s filly Purple Rainbow drops markedly in trip, meanwhile. Emma Lavelle’s topweight Silver Ghost needs a revival, but Nick Bradley Racing have an in-form sort in Grant Tuer’s Bellarchi. She could outrun her odds, especially with Oliver Stammers again aboard as the pair boast three previous wins together.
